Guitar pick holder



C. E. BOWERS May 6, 1969 GUITAR PICK HOLDER Filed Oct. 10, 1967 f/GURff/EU/Ff 3 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,442,169 GUITAR PICK HOLDERCharles E. Bowers, 945 E. Nora St., Spokane, Wash. 99207 Filed Oct. 10,1967, Ser. No. 674,197 Int. Cl. Gd 3/16 US. Cl. 84322 2 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of in vention Thisinvention relates generally to guitar picks and holders therefore andmore particularly to the combination of a ring holder to releasablymaintain a guitar pick of commerce on the finger of a user for properuse in a habitually familiar position.

Description of prior art In the playing of guitars, banjos and similarstring instruments it has become common to use a semi-rigid, hand heldpick to cause vibration of the strings by appropriate manualmanipulation. Picks common for this purpose are relatively small, planartriangular elements held in the hand of the user only with some effortand training.

Various mechanical aids have been devised to assist in the manualmanipulation of such picks. These devices may be classified generallyinto a first class comprising picks and holders of unitary or one-piececonstruction, and a second class comprising a compound pick formed witha holding member separately constructed from and joined with the pickmember.

The first class of picks is distinguishable from the instant inventionin the matter of structure as it provides for no interchangeability ofparts, and on the basis of function in that the resultant sound andmethod of playing with this type of pick are different from thosehabitually familiar with the non-holder associated pick. This firstclass of pick is particularly adapted for use as a thumb pick especiallyin the playing of electric guitars.

The instant invention is concerned with the second class of compoundpicks and holders. It is known in this class to provide a band-likefastening member in the nature of a ring to fit about the forefinger orthumb of a player, with a particularly configured pick pivotably mountedthereon for pivotal motion into a playing position; such device istypified by the US. patent issued to M. S. Di Preta, No. 2,776,592. Theinstant invention is distinguished from this art in that a communicationbetween ring and pick is of a particular releasable nature, embodying adeadening mechanism and allowing holding position to lessen vibrationsin the pick. The pick used with the instant holding device is anordinary triangular pick of commerce and produces a different tone andplaying action than picks of different special configuration. Theinstant invention also allows a pick to be held in the normal orhabitually 3,442,169 Patented May 6, 1969 familiar playing positions andallows playing motion of a freer nature, without the muscular tensionassociated with the hand held device.

Summary of invention The instant invention was conceived to provide areleasably combined guitar pick and holder to position to guitar pick ofcommerce in the habitually familiar playing position on a players hand.

This function is accomplished by a ring-like structure adapted to fit onand about a players finger, structurally carrying a threaded studprojecting radially outward therefrom to receive a normal guitar pick ofcommerce with a particular washer on each side and a nut on theoutermost portion to hold the Whole assemblage in releasable adjustableposition. The ring preferably is formed from deformable material andwith split configuration to allow manual deformation to fit fingers ofvarying sizes and shapes.

The guitar pick is of the ordinary variety of commerce with a holeprovided in its medial portion to allow passage of the fastening stud ofthe ring. The washers positioned on each side of the guitar pickpreferably are of a nonelastic material that damps and does not transmitthe mechanical vibrations associated with sound, to provide a clearstring tone resulting from use of the pick structure; the washers alsoserve to maintain the pick in a desired angular position relative theplane of the holding ring.

A specie of my invention provides a guitar pick with the picking apexslightly bent so that in normal playing positions a surface of the pickcontacts a guitar string rather than merely the point or lowermost edge.Normal playing motion of this pick will result in somewhat of a slidingmotion on the string similar to bowing rather than a distinct pickingmotion. This form of pick produces a very clear, true tone.

In providing such a structure it is:

A principal object of my invention to provide a ring type holding devicereleasably attaching to a normal guitar pick of commerce to aid itsmanual manipulation by a user;

A further object of my invention to provide such a holding device thataccepts picks of standard design and shape with no necks orprotuberances to cause a differing tone in normally familiar use andplay.

A further object of my invention to provide such a device that positionsthe guitar pick when in playing position in the habitually familiarposition of the normal hand held pick.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a holding devicethat allows a pick to be held on the players hand without musculartensions that would inhibit the normal free motion of the hand intraditional guitar play.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a holding devicethat may be deformably shaped to fit various fingers.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a device that isof new and novel design, of sturdy and durable nature, of simple andeconomic manufacture and one that is otherwise wall adapted to the usesand purposes for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the followingspecification and accompanying drawings which form a part of thisapplication.

In carrying out the objects of my invention, however, it is to beunderstood that its essential features are susceptible of change indesign, and structural arrangement with only one preferred and practicalembodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as required.

Brief description of drawings In the accompanying drawings, wherein likenumbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:

FIGURE 1 is an orthographic view of my pick held by the right hand of aplayer in normal playing position, with the holding ring on the playersforefinger.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded isometric view of my invention showing itsvarious parts, their configuration and relationship.

FIGURE 3 is an orthographic illustration, from the rear, of theinvention of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an orthographic side illustration of the invention of FIGURE1, showing the various parts from this aspect.

FIGURE 5 is an isometric illustration, from the rear and above, of thespecie of pick having its picking tip bent to provide a sliding stringcontact.

FIGURE 6 is an orthographic side view of the invention of FIGURE 5showing particularly the skewed configuration of the pick.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings inmore detail, it is seen in FIGURE 2 that my invention comprises ring 10,preferably having split 11, and carrying the radially outwardlyprojecting threaded stud 12. This stud carries in order, progressivelyoutward, lock washer 13, guitar pick 14 having hole 15 to fit over thestud, outer washer 16 and nut 17 adapted to threadedly engage the endpart of stud 12. The whole assemblage is relatively sized and releasablyfastened together as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

Ring 10 is preferably formed from some reasonably deformable metal sothat it may be deformed sufficiently, especially with the aid of split11, to fit on various sized fingers of differing players. Obviously,solid rings of differing size might be provided if desired to fulfillthe purposes of my invention. The ring, however, should fit reasonablysnugly about the finger of a player for a proper operation and this fitmust be accomplished in one fashion or another.

Guitar pick 14 is of the ordinary variety of commerce with sheet-likebody structure of triangular configuration with apexes rounded. Any ofthe pick materials such as plastic, celluoid, tortise-shell, or the likethat are used in such devices of commerce operate equally well with myinvention. Washers 13, 16 are preferably somewhat cupshaped to allow adeformable friction type contact of their periphery with the guitar pickunder pressure from nut 17. With such washers positioned on either sideof the pick, they tend to damp any vibrations caused in the pick by itsnormal playing operation so that the motion imparted by it to the stringof an instrument will be quite purely the tone of the stringnotinfluenced by any secondary vibration of the guitar pick. With picks ofdiffering shape, and especially with one supported on a holding memberby an elongate neck, there is a tendency toward a secondary vibrationwhich produces overtones in the instrument string that is being playedto result in an impurity of string tone. Purity in tone with the instantinvention is quite as great, or slightly greater, than with the samepick held in the normal hand position without the aid of my holdingdevice.

The pick normally will be angularly oriented relative ring 10 in aslightly different fashion by different guitar players. Normalorientation for a right-handed guitar player is shown in FIGURE 1, butindividual players and styles of playing often require an angularadjustment of the members. This positioning may be accomplished byloosening nut 17, adjusting the pick to the desired position andretightening the nut. The two lock-washers 13, 16 cooperate tofrictionally maintain the pick in this angular position relative thering structure.

Nut 17 should be a relatively thin member to allow the thumb of a userto come into the proper communicating with the guitar pick and not beheld away therefrom by the nut. Preferably the outer surface of the nutis smooth and the peripheral circular surface is provided with serations18 to allow for easy manual manipualtion when necessary.

From the foregoing description of the structure of my invention, itsoperation may be understood.

For normal guitar playing the device is formed according to theforegoing specification and assembled in the form shown in FIGURES 3 and4. The ring then is appropriately sized to fit snugly about theforefinger of a user and the entire device positioned on the forefingerin the habitually familiar playing position illustrated (for theright-hand) in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, with the thumb of the userpositioned substantially over the nut of-the device and in communicationwith the pick. In this position the device is ready for play in thenormal fashion.

It is to be particularly noted that my invention makes use of a standardguitar pick of commerce modified only by placement of the fastening holeherein; it is further to be noted that such pick is releasably attachedso that a variety of picks may be used interchangeably with one ringdevice as desired.

It is further to be noted that the form of pick holder illustratedallows the pick to be held in the habitually familiar positions of theguitar player, that is, in the position it would normally be held wereit held completely by manual manipulation without the aid of my ring.This is not the case with pick holders having differently shaped pickingdevices, as with them the pick or entire device must be held in anon-familiar position to accomplish proper holding and picking motion.My invention in this regard admirably fills the purpose of a teachingaid, as it teaches the proper position of guitar pick holding and thisfaculty may be transferred to a pick without the holding device withoutchanging the habit formed with it.

It is further to be noted that with the use of a pick holding devicesuch as described, muscular tensions in the hand that would be createdby manual holding of the pick without the aid of my device are relievedto provide a more free type of hand motion in guitar play.

It is further to be noted that any vibrations in the pick are eithernon-existent or substantially reduced by reason of the mounting of thepick relative the ring and by reason of the positioning of the thumb inthe normal playing position against the pick. With other devices nothaving this construction the pick body tends to create secondaryvibrations during play and these are impressed upon the instrumentstrings to cause an impure tone therein.

-It is further to be noted that the ring structure of my invention, withappropriate sizing of the individual ring, might be used to position apick extending substantially perpendicularly to either the forefinger orthe thumb or one extending substantially parallel to the thumb, as inthe case of the normal thumb pick.

A specie of my invention embodying a particular type of pick isillustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6. Here the playing portion 19 of the pickis bent slightly skewedly and outwardly away from the ring so that whenthe ring be positioned as in FIGURE 1, the bent portion of the pickcontacting the string will be some substantial area of the pick surface20. With use of the planar pick of the type illustrated in FIGURE 1, thepicking motion is caused substantially by the lowermost surface or edgeof the pick and is of a plucking nature. With the bent specie of pick,when used in normal playing action, the surface 20 apparently contactsthe string in somewhat of a sliding motion, in the fashion of bowing;this type of communication tends to produce a truer and clearer tone inthe string than the normal straight pick.

The specie form of bent pick may be created from an ordinary planar pickof commerce by making the bend illustrated, if the material be subjectto such manipulation. Plastic, of course, is admirably suited to thispurpose.

It is to be particularly noted that with my invention, since the pickstructure is releasably attached to the holder, a plurality of picks ofeither bent or straight nature may be used with any particular holdingring to increase the functional utility of an individual ring.

The foregoing description of my invention is necessarily of a detailednature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth asrequired, but it is to be understood that various modifications ofdetail, rearrangement and multiplication of parts may be resorted towithout departing from its spirit, essence or scope.

Having thusly described my invent-ion, what I desire to protect byLetters Patent, and

What I claim is:

1. A guitar pick holding structure of the nature aforesaid, comprisingin combination:

a. deformable ring structurally carrying a radially outwardly projectingthreaded stud;

a truncated triangular guitar pick of commerce having a hole in themedial portion thereof adapted to fit over said threaded stud;

paired washers on each side of said guitar pick adapted to friction-allyengage the pick to regulate its angular position relative said ring anddamp vibrations in said pick;

a flat nut adapted to fit on the end porton of said threaded stud toreleasably maintain said guitar pick thereon with friction between saidwashers.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the end picking portion of theguitar pick is bent somewhat upwardly towards said ring when in normaloperative position so that a substantial portion of the bent surface ofsaid pick communicates with the string operated upon thereby.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 557,293 3/1896 Wahl 84-3221,547,560 7/1925 Burdwise 84-322 2,776,592 1/1957 Di Preta 84322 RICHARDB. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

L. R. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner.

